The leading provider of digital office equipment, advanced document management solutions and services, Ricoh America Corporation has completed an electronic billboard for Times Square, completely powered by solar power.
Terry Hope has created the THEKPV (The Hybrid Electric Kinetic Photovoltaic Vehicle), a solar powered bike that is powered by a 50W array of solar panels and has a capacitor for boosting its acceleration capabilities.
Konarka’s Power Plastic technology that creates a flexible thin film solar cell, now available embedded in a solar powered umbrella. SOLARBrella provide power for laptops, iPods, cell phones and other personal equipment.
This tent comes with solar panels and integrated, interior LED lights. You can also use solar panels to charge the battery independently. That’s about 4-6 hours of direct light to yield 2-4 hours tent light. The 7″ (18 cm) solar panel placed on the hub of tents and clicked into place. Fly is then placed on a solar panel & tent, and sun will charge the panel through the clear PVC window at the top of the fly. Unfortunately, like most tents, this one is made from petroleum-based materials (nylon and PVC). Certainly there is a substitute that can be used out there! Tent comes as a four-person and six-person version, and the price is $ 180 (CAD) and $ 220 (CAD) each. For more information, visit Canadian Tire site. [Via]
Outdoor solar lights uses the identical action to generate power as the solar panels on your ceiling (or that you could set up on your ceiling, if you selected to). Essentially, it applies photovoltaic (PV) cells, which accumulate and switch solar energy into electrical energy. The PV cells apply semiconducting materials to engage the sun’s light, which interacts with the silicon and another components to produce electrical energy. The electrical energy runs over cables which power the battery, which in go powers the light. This is an highly simple explanation, but it will present you the common idea of how solar cells play. They can only make electrical energy from direct sunshine, which is why solar lighting wants a battery in order to be able to light up the dark.
So that the batteries to keep a constant charge, the solar light fixture should be in a position that meets full sunshine for almost of the daylight. If it just gets partial sunlight, because it’s barred by trees or other construction, or because your area has much of cloudy conditions, the batteries will run out earlier, and your fixture will supply light for a lower amount of time. Most outdoor solar lights fixtures own a backup power system which applies rechargeable batteries. Solar lights fixtures which apply a small amount of electrical energy frequently apply small AA Ni-Cad or NiMh batteries. But more strong solar lights fixtures (like head lights) apply a covered lead acid battery.
Photo detectors that automatically evaluate light degrees (like the kind that tells your photographic camera when to apply its flash) are constructed into the solar lights fixtures. They monitor light degrees and turn the fixture off at morning and on at nightfall. But get sure there are no artificial light sources (like a street lights or head light) that may contribute a wrong reading and forbid the light from turning on.
Outdoor solar lights usually utilizes LED bulbs. They apply less power than incandescent bulbs and, with a lifetime of around 20 years, are much longer-lasting. Until lately, solar lights overall has not been as bright as lighting powered straight by direct current electrical energy. But the earliest super bright LEDs can at present illuminate as well as halogen bulbs.
Executive Summary about Solar Heaters by Tanya Turner
Are you thinking about buying a swimming pool heater? A very cost effective option would be getting a solar heater for swimming pool.
Solar heater for swimming pools – how does it work?
Unlike other types of solar powered devices, solar pool heater works rather simple. Solar panels collect heat from the sun. A pump forces water from your swimming pool through a filter that leads it into a solar collector. The size of a swimming pool heater you need depends on the size of your pool and the climate in your area. For bigger pools and colder places you need bigger solar heaters. Heaters with 2′x20′ panels are the most popular. For bigger pools you will need more panels.
Installing your solar pool heater
Unlike solar water heaters, pool heaters are fairly easy to install.
Maintaining your solar heater for swimming pool
Getting a solar heater for your pool makes much more sense than getting any other type of pool heater including gas and electric heaters.
Pool Solar Heaters – How to Build Your Own Pool Solar Heater
Executive Summary about Solar Heaters by Benjamin Robert Ehinger
Here is a plan to put together your solar heater.
First, you are going to need about 150 feet of long black tubing that is about a half inch around to three fourths of an inch around. You will also need about 10 feet of PVC pipe that will fit snugly into the ends of the black tubing. you will need a shut off valve that will be attached to one end of the PVC piping. You will also need a pump that will be strong enough to move water through the tubing at a slow speed.
Second, you are going to need some 2 by 4 pieces of lumber and some metal brackets. You will want to mount this part of your heater on a rooftop that is in direct sunlight, a shed, a barn, a garage, or anywhere else that is in direct sunlight.
Last, you will run the PVC piping from each end of the black tubing into the pool. When you turn the pump on it will suck water out of your pool at a slow speed and pump it up and through your black tubing, very slowly. You want this water to be sitting in the black tubing and getting hot. Then, when it comes back into the pool it will start to raise the temperature of your pool. This is now your solar pool heater.
